Apparatus for operating diamond drills in mines



(No Model.)

H. G. JOHNSTON. APPARATUS FOR OPERATING DIAMOND DRILLS IN MINES.

No. 435,648. Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

A TTORNEY NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE Gr. JOHNSTON, OF SALINA, KANSAS.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING DIAMOND DRILLS IN MINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 435,648, datedSeptember 2, 1890. Application filed February 24, 1890. Serial No.341,398. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE G. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Salina, county of Saline, State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Operating DiamondDrills in Mines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, makingpart of this specification.

Myinvention relates to an improved apparatus for operating drills in mines; and it consists in providing means for utilizing the pressure and aportion of the water in the drainpipe to operate drills and othermining-tools.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combination of parts, as hereinafterdescribed, andpointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates myinvention as appliedto operate diamond drills, and Fig. 2 a portion of detail enlarged.

The surface structure A is intended to represent one of the well-knownmeans of operating a lift-pump for draining mines. A suitable power,located in the building B, is transmitted to band-wheel O, thence by acrank D and pitrnan E to a working-beam F, as shown.

G represents the vertical shaft of the mine, and H a horizontal drift,and J a sump.

Kis a water-pipe extending from the sump to a point above the surface ofthe ground. On the lower end of said pipe and in the sump J is placed apump L, the sucker-rod M eX- tending upwardly and connected to the freeend of the working-bar F. At the top portion of said pipe is provided aspout or spill N, through which water raised from the mine isdischarged.

For the purpose of this application I have shown my invention applied tooperate a rotary diamond drill in a miI1e,O representing thedrill-supporhand P the drill, which is of the usual pipe form,havingdiamonds placed about the outer or free end thereof. Q is a supportingjournal-box, in which the drill is rotated, said drill having a gearedconnection with the motor B.

To support the driving-shaft S, 'drill P, and gear-wheel T,a frameUisprovided, which is secured to and supported by the support 0.

The rear end portion of the hollow drill-shaft is also journaled on saidframe, as shown at a. On said shaft is placed a gear-wheel T to engagewheel T, which is secured from rotation by a feather in the usual way,and to secure said wheel from longitudinal movement on the drill-shaftthe driving-wheel T is provided with side flanges b, between which thewheel T is placed, the cogs of which engage the cogs of the wheel T, theflange 11 holding the wheel T in position as the drill-shaft is advancedor withdrawn.

The motor R may be of any of the wellknown water-motors and will need nofurther explanation; but to operate said motor a water-pipe \V isprovided, one end of which is connected with the vertical drain-pipe K,at a point above the pump L and below the spout or spill N, as indicatedat (Z. In said pipe WV is provided a valve X, by whlch it may be closed.

To convey the water from the pipe \V to the motor, a hose Y is provided,by which ayielding conn ection and water-conduit is provided, that willnot only supply the water to the motor, but will also provide for themovement of the drilling-machine as occasion may require; and to providea wash-out for the drill a similar hose Z is provided, one end of whichis swiveled to the open end of the drillshaft, by which water is allowedto flow through the drill between the core of rock and the inside of thedrill-shaft and out of the hole between the outside of the shaft and thewall of the hole, to prevent clogging and heating, as would be the casewithout the use of such wash-out, and by the use of which means thefrequent withdrawal of the drill to clean out is avoided.

I11 operation the pumping machinery on the surface is put in operation,the pumpL operated thereby, and the water drained from the mine into thesump J is raised to the dis charge pipe or spout N. The valve X isopened to allow water to flow from the pipe K, through the pipe XV andhose Y, to the motor and through the hose Z, to wash out the drill, theamount of water required to operate the inotor being very small, owingto the great pressure in the pipe K, which will, however, vary with theheight of said pipe, varying from one-sixteenth to one-twentieth so faras demonstrated. The water being have been operated by steam generatedat the surface and carried down into the mine in pipes, and afterpassing through some form of driving-machinery exhausted into the mine,greatly to the discomfort and health of the operators, by an increase oftemperature and humidity of theatmosphere of the mine; and, again, bythe use of air compressed by the wellknown machinery at the surface andcom veyed down into the mine and through the proper machinery to operatethe drill and is then exhausted into the mine, which operation soreduces the temperature of the mine as to greatly injure the operators,as well as be damaging to the machinery.

It will be clear to all persons familiar with the subject and processesof mining that my invention is not only conducive to the comfort andhealth of the operators, but will greatly reduce the cost of mining, asthe quantity of water used to operate the motor is so small, because of.the great pressure in the pipe K, that when deducted from that raised bythe pump L will be small compared with the results attained.

By the use of the valve X the drill-motor may be stopped or startedwithout interrupting or interfering with the operation of draining themine.

Having thus 'fully described the nature and object of my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, to operate drills"in mines, the drain-pump L,vertical pipe K, having a horizontal pipe, as W, secured thereto at apoint interjacent the pump and the dischargepipe, said pipe having atits free end portion a hose portion Y to convey water .from said pipe tothe motor R to operate said motor, and a hose portion Z to convey waterto the drill, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, the support'O, having secured there to thesupporting-frame U, drillshaft P, and shaft S, journaled thereon,gearwheels T and T, a water-motor mounted on the shaft S, a flexiblepipe or hose connecting said motor to a Water-supply pipe communieatingwith the mine drain-pipe at a pointbetween the lift-pump and thedischarge-pipe, substantially as described, and for the purpose setforth.

3. The combination, with a drain-pipe located within the shaft of amine, a pumpingpiston within said pipe, a drill located within the mine,mechanism within the mine for op erating said drill, and a branch pipecommunicating with the drain-pipe and the drilling mechanism, said pipeconnected to the drainpipe above the highest horizontal plane ofmovement of the pumping-piston and beneath the outlet to saiddrain-pipe, whereby a constant water-pressure within the branch pipe ismaintained, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day ofJanuary, A.D. 1890.

HORACE G. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

W. K. MILLER,

ATLEE POMERENE.

